Dorchester Town Football Club, nicknamed “The Magpies,” is a non-league football club based in Dorchester, Dorset.
Established in 1880, they currently compete in the Pitching In Southern Football League Premier South, which is part of the seventh tier of English football. The team calls The Avenue Stadium their home ground.
Beginning as a local pastime, the club initially played rules that later evolved into rugby. By 1880, men gathered at The Kings’ Arms Hotel to revive the club under association rules, playing at The Recreation Ground. The first recorded Boxing Day Derby fixture took place in 1885.
The town’s unique working week meant that the club adopted a policy in 1908/09 to only play fellow local teams and visiting military sides. This led to representatives from several local groups agreeing to form a new, united team, adopting the name Dorchester Town Football Club.
The club moved to the dedicated Avenue Football Ground in 1929. A notable event occurred in 1934 when Lloyd George MP held a rally at the ground to mark the centenary of the Tolpuddle Martyrs.
After joining the Western League in 1947, the club turned professional two years later, achieving the Western League Championship in the 1954/55 season. The 1950s were marked by repeated FA Cup First Round Proper appearances.
The club joined the Southern League in 1972, gaining promotion to the Premier Division five years later. Following a period of financial difficulty, a strong season in 1986/87 saw the club return to the Premier Division.
The move to a new stadium in the early 1990s saw the club establish itself in the Southern Premier. After a dip in the late 1990s, the club achieved promotion back to the Premier Division by winning the Eastern Division title the following season.